Lithuania prepares bridges for demolition along Belarus, Russia borders

Construction work on bridges near Lithuania’s borders with Belarus and Russia has raised public attention. The Lithuanian Armed Forces confirmed to LRT.lt that this is part of fortification measures agreed last July.

The military said the work is part of the Baltic defence line along the borders with Russia and Belarus. Bridges are being fitted with “engineering structures for attaching explosive materials.”

“Bridges and roads are selected based on the location of natural obstacles and their strategic importance in Lithuania’s defence system,” the military said.

Several dozen sites near the border have been established to store anti-tank and other obstacles. Trees are being planted on key roads, and irrigation ditches are being deepened to act as trenches and additional barriers.

In an armed conflict, bridges could be demolished to block military movement. Finland, sharing a 1,340 km border with Russia, has prepared for this for decades.

Last year, Finland’s president said to foreign media:

“I’m a little bit worried about this rather belligerent talk about Russia going to test [NATO’s] Article 5, and that Europe is next in line. We should prepare for that, but it’s highly unlikely.

“What I call on all European states to do is to become more Finnish. In other words, more prepared. You have to prepare for the worst in order to avoid it.”

In Lithuania, populist politicians and their supporters have accused officials of “warmongering” over such preparations.

Estonia’s armed forces commander, Lieutenant General Andrus Merilo, commented in October:

“Right now, I feel this war hysteria is seriously counterproductive. People tend to fear what they don't understand and easily fall into panic. But when someone is prepared for an event, they behave much more rationally. We still have work to do.”

Lithuanian officials aim to show defensive measures are underway without causing panic.

“In peacetime, to say that border municipalities are unsafe, when we have NATO and partner nations’ commitments, would be madness,” said Donatas Gurevičius of the Fire and Rescue Department (PAGD).

“It would be irresponsible to unsettle people and talk about [insecurity at the border], but the reality is this – each of us has to find a way to approach this very complex subject of war, because that is the reality,” he added.

Major Gintautas Ciunis of the Lithuanian Armed Forces Strategic Communications Department said:

“We observe that the greatest positive response comes not from ‘good news’… but from a consistent position and the timely presentation of real facts, together with an assessment of what those facts mean.

“The Lithuanian Armed Forces have always communicated the same position – first, that in the long term, Russia’s threat remains constant… Second, because of that conclusion, constant preparedness is essential, and the more intensive it is, the greater the likelihood of achieving effective deterrence.”

By Aghakazim Guliyev